THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9425, 1 July 1882, Page 3

THE GOOD OLD DAYS.

Amongst the curious data recently culled from the State archives of Hesse-Darmstadt, is the official tariff of fees allowed by the municipalities of Darmstadt and Bessungen to the public executioners of those towns for the performance of their penal functions. The tariff dates from the latter part of the fourteenth century. The German executioner (Scharfricher) ofthe “ good old times” was kept pretty busy and prospered although his fees were remarkably reasonable. His fee for boiling a man in oil was 13dol, for decapitating with the sword 7dol 75c, and for quartering the same. For breaking, on the wheel he only charged 2dol 70c, for “ tearing a man to pieces” 9dol. He charged sdol for hanging, and he would burn a man alive for 7 dole. For applying the “ Spanish boot” his fee was only two florins. Five florins were paid to him every time he subjected a refractory witness to the torture of the rack. The same amount was his due for “ branding sign of the gallows with a red-hot iron upon the back, forehead, or cheek of a thief,” as well as for cutting off the nose and ears of a slanderer or blasphemer.” Flogging with rods, although it involved considerable physical exertion to the Scharfricher was a cheap punishment, its remuneration being fixed at three florins thirty kreuzevg.